scholarly journals Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Options Discrepancy Globally

2022 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rifa Gowani ◽  

Cystic fibrosis, or rather known as CF, is a common monogenic disease caused by genetic mutation on CFTR on chromosome 7. Progressive obstructive pulmonary disease, sinusitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency leading to malabsorption and malnutrition, liver and pancreatic dysfunction, and male infertility are all characteristics of the disease. Persistent pulmonary infections are caused by a lack of CFTR or its decreased function, leading to bronchiectasis and progressive lung destruction. Despite the fact that CF patients' lives are shortening, early diagnosis has helped improve patients' life span to a median age of around 50 years, including newborn screening, mild form identification, and a proactive therapy approach. Pancreatic enzyme replacement, respiratory physiotherapy, mucolytics, and strong antibiotic therapy are among treatments for CF. For the majority of people with severe symptoms, a lung or liver transplant is necessary. The CFTR protein is affected by a large number of mutations, each of which have diverse effects. Despite advances in our understanding of CFTR function and contemporary therapy, most of our knowledge of cystic fibrosis remains unclear. With the recent addition of mutation-specific treatments, future advances in health and quality of life for people with CF are likely to improve. The focus of research is on novel medications that restore CFTR function, some of which are now accessible and have a positive therapeutic impact, while others are showing promising preliminary results.

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Konstan ◽  
Theodore G. Liou ◽  
Steven D. Strausbaugh ◽  
Richard Ahrens ◽  
Jamshed F. Kanga ◽  
...  

Background. Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy is the standard of care for treatment of malabsorption in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (PI).Aim. To evaluate efficacy and safety of a new formulation of pancrelipase (Ultrase MT20) in patients with CF and PI. Coefficients of fat absorption (CFA%) and nitrogen absorption (CNA%) were the main efficacy parameters. Safety was evaluated by monitoring laboratory analyses, adverse events (AEs), and overall signs and symptoms.Methods. Patients (n=31) were randomized in a crossover design comparing this pancrelipase with placebo during 2 inpatient evaluation periods (6-7 days each). Fat and protein/nitrogen ingestion and excretion were measured from food diaries and 72-hour stool collections. CFA% and CNA% were calculated for each period and compared.Results. Twenty-four patients provided analyzable data. This pancrelipase increased mean CFA% and CNA% (+34.7% and +25.7%, resp.,P<.0001for both), reduced stool frequency, and improved stool consistency compared with placebo. Placebo-treated patients reported more AEs, with gastrointestinal symptoms being the most frequently reported AE.Conclusions. This pancrelipase is a safe and effective treatment for malabsorption associated with exocrine PI in patients with CF.


Author(s):  
Csilla Enikő Szabo ◽  
Oana Iulia Man ◽  
Radu Sorin Șerban ◽  
Eva Kiss ◽  
Călin Florin Lazăr

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is an important cause of chronic malnutrition, secondary to maldigestion-malabsorption, which can be caused in children especially by cystic fibrosis, but also by other much rarer diseases. The case of a 6 months and 3 weeks old male pediatric patient is reported, who was admitted to the clinic for head and forearms bruising. Laboratory findings identified vitamin K deficiency as the cause of the cutaneous hemorrhagic syndrome. Further investigations revealed association of steatorrhea (which is a marker of fat malabsorption), iron-deficiency anemia and hypovitaminosis D, which had been produced by nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption syndrome. From the numerous disorders that could be associated with pancreatic insufficiency in children, the following conditions had been excluded: cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis), cow`s milk protein intolerance, gluten-sensitive enteropathy (coeliac disease), Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, abetalipoproteinemia, etc. Based upon decreased levels of stool pancreatic elastase in repeated measurements, together with low serum lipase, the final diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was established. Treatment of this case consisted mainly in pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, but also oral iron supplementation and dietary supplements with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). The outcome was favorable, characterized by normalization of intestinal passage, ascending growth curve and normalization of the majority of laboratory tests values that were modified between the time of patient admission to our clinic and initiation of specific therapy (serum level of vitamin K, vitamin D and lipase, coagulation profile, hemoglobin and red blood cell indexes), as well as higher value of fecal pancreatic elastase.    


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-93
Author(s):  
Muzal Kadim ◽  
William Cheng

Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited genetic disorder with high mortality and morbidity. CF is strongly correlated with malnutrition due to higher energy losses, pancreatic insufficiency, chronic inflammation, higher resting energy expenditure, and feeding problems. Malnutrition in CF patients associated with worse survival. Thus, appropriate and prompt nutritional intervention should be addressed to reduced malnutrition in CF patients. Methods The literature search was performed on 9 August 2021 in four major databases such as MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Reviews, and Web of Sciences to find the role of nutrition and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy in pediatrics population with cystic fibrosis. Recent findings In recent decades, early nutritional management and pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) have been shown to improve CF patient’s outcomes. Nutrition should be given in higher calories compared to healthy individuals with close and regular nutritional status monitoring. High protein and fat diets are essential for CF patient’s overall survival. Adequate level of micronutrients should be ensured to avoid morbidity caused by micronutrients deficiency. Regular pancreatic insufficiency screening should be done annually in order to start PERT early.  Further research focusing on body composition, growth chart, protein intake, and PERT are needed to further improve the management of CF patient. Conclusion Nutritional intervention and PERT play an important role in prolonging CF patient survival. Both treatments should be initiated early with nutritional status close monitoring and tailored to each individual. Collaboration with parents and children is critical to warrant that CF patients followed the dietary advice.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 523
Author(s):  
Carmelo Diéguez-Castillo ◽  
Cristina Jiménez-Luna ◽  
Jose Prados ◽  
José Luis Martín-Ruiz ◽  
Octavio Caba

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is defined as the maldigestion of foods due to inadequate pancreatic secretion, which can be caused by alterations in its stimulation, production, transport, or interaction with nutrients at duodenal level. The most frequent causes are chronic pancreatitis in adults and cystic fibrosis in children. The prevalence of EPI is high, varying according to its etiology, but it is considered to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Its importance lies in the quality of life impairment that results from the malabsorption and malnutrition and in the increased morbidity and mortality, being associated with osteoporosis and cardiovascular events. The diagnosis is based on a set of symptoms, indicators of malnutrition, and an indirect non-invasive test in at-risk patients. The treatment of choice combines non-restrictive dietary measures with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy to correct the associated symptoms and improve the nutritional status of patients. Non-responders require the adjustment of pancreatic enzyme therapy, the association of proton pump inhibitors, and/or the evaluation of alternative diagnoses such as bacterial overgrowth. This review offers an in-depth overview of EPI in order to support the proper management of this entity based on updated and integrated knowledge of its etiopathogenesis, prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment.


2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anne Cooper ◽  
Aubrey Groll

A 14-year-old child treated with valproic acid over several years for a seizure disorder developed abdominal pain with radiological evidence of acute pancreatitis. The association with valproic acid was not recognized, and the child continued to take the drug. The patient eventually developed steatorrhea and weight loss that improved with pancreatic enzyme replacement. Radiological evaluation showed an atrophic pancreas. Without evidence of other etiological factors, valproic acid by itself appeared to be the cause of chronic pancreatitis with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in this patient.


1996 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Stein ◽  
M Jung ◽  
A Sziegoleit ◽  
S Zeuzem ◽  
W F Caspary ◽  
...  

Abstract We have evaluated the diagnostic value of the fecal elastase test in comparison with the secretin-pancreozymin test in the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Pancreatic elastase was measured immunologically. Immunoreactive elastase activity in spot stools from controls ranged from 136 to 4440 microgram/g; 95% of all values were within 175 to 1500 microgram/g. The elastase assay CVs ranged from 3.3% to 6.3% (intraassay) and from 4.1% to 10.2% (interassay). The output of elastase correlated well with those of amylase, lipase, and trypsin, yielding respective correlation coefficients of 0.83, 0.82, and 0.84 in controls and 0.86, 0.91, and 0.91 in patients with impaired pancreatic function. In contrast to fecal chymotrypsin, the test results were unaffected by pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. These results indicate that fecal immunoreactive elastase may be recommended as a new, noninvasive tubeless test of pancreatic function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Thompson ◽  
Lewis Hall ◽  
Keith Roberts ◽  
Tahir Shah ◽  
Elizabeth Bradley ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs), treated with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) or pancreaticoduodenectomy, are at risk of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This is frequently undiagnosed but can be treated with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). PERT improves survival and nutritional status in other exocrine pancreatic insufficiency-associated conditions such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This single-centre retrospective cohort study aimed to establish whether PERT increases survival or weight maintenance in SSA or pancreaticoduodenectomy-treated patients with pNETs. Methods Departmental databases identified patients (n = 82) diagnosed with pNETs between 2009 and 2019 and managed with SSAs and/or pancreaticoduodenectomy. Their baseline characteristics, treatments and outcomes were established from clinical records. Cases (n = 47) received PERT 3 months after either pancreaticoduodenectomy or commencement of SSAs, controls (n = 35) did not. Overall survival was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test and multivariable Cox regression. Percentage monthly weight changes were compared using the Mann-Witney U test. The cohort was investigated as a whole and stratified by intervention (pancreaticoduodenectomy or SSAs) as more cases having undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy was a potential confounder. Results Median survival was not reached in either group. Cases experienced significantly greater 5-year overall survival (81% vs 53%, p = 0.010), however, PERT was not independently associated with survival (Hazard ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.17-1.30, p = 0.143). Cases showed superior median weight maintenance (+0.04% vs -0.10% per month, p = 0.013), but had lower mean baseline weights (70.0kg vs 81.9kg, p = 0.003). Considering SSA-treated patients (n = 55) only, cases (n = 27) showed greater median weight maintenance (+0.04% vs -0.21% per month, p = 0.025) and a trend towards improved median overall survival (55.5, 95% CI 10.3-100.7 vs 47.7, 95% CI 19.1-76.4 months, p = 0.054). Conclusions PERT may improve the maintenance of weight and therefore nutrition in patients with pNETs, treated with SSAs or pancreaticoduodenectomy. PERT may also convey a survival benefit in this same population, however, due to the numerous factors which affect survival, this study appears underpowered to reliably explore this outcome. Further studies are required to accurately define the use and benefits of PERT in this population.


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